The present invention relates to fuel systems, and more particularly to fuel systems for gas turbine engines.
Gas turbine engines, such as those suitable for use with aircraft, generally use hydrocarbon-based fuels. The elevated temperatures at which prior art gas turbine engine fuel systems operate—up to approximately 121° C. (250° F.)—can cause chemical reactions to occur within the fuel that can lead to the formation and deposition of carbonaceous materials, which is referred to in the art as fuel “coking”. These deposits can undesirably accumulate on fuel system components such as conduits, valve surfaces, filter screens, etc., and can lead to malfunctions and/or increased needs for repair or maintenance.
Gas turbine engines for military aircraft have utilized a pre-mixed fuel JP-8+100, which is a mixture of JP-8 fuel plus a fuel stabilizer. However, usage of such mixtures is limited by the availability of the pre-mixed fuel, which could limit the travel of an aircraft that requires such pre-mixed fuel. Thus, commercial applications of stabilized fuel mixtures are limited.